


Disappear, Act II

by Talliya



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: 1xR - Freeform, 2x3x2, Christmas Eve, Cute kid shenanigans., Established 2/3 then re-established 2/3, F/M, Fight Scenes, GW Holiday Gift Exchange 2019, Lots of Duo being emotionally hurt and angry., Lots of feels., M/M, cussing/cursing, pinch hit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22315468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talliya/pseuds/Talliya
Summary: Triton disappeared on Christmas Eve three years ago, leaving Duo high and dry and unable to adopt the baby girl they'd been planning to. This Christmas Eve throws Duo some more surprises.
Relationships: Duo Maxwell/Triton Bloom, Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Gundam Wing Holiday Gift Exchange 2019





	Disappear, Act II

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AnaraneSindanarie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaraneSindanarie/gifts).



> I do not own any rights to Gundam Wing or its characters. This work is not for profit.
> 
> Written as a pinch hit for Rane. ^_^ Using an old prompt she gave me as well as the Holiday things she asked for for the Gift Exchange!  
> Exchange prompts: Maybe something family oriented, like Trowa and Duo have a kid(s) together? Or maybe Trowa or Duo taking care of the other after a serious injury? Or a hot and steamy night between Duo and Trowa. ;) ANGST, fluff, smut, 3x2, 1x4  
> Old prompt: “Did you even stop to think about what your disappearance would do to me?” Duo to Triton
> 
> (I listened to Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers & Cold Play, All or Nothing by Cher, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon, and Wanted by Charlie Puth on constant repeat while writing this fic.)

It was Christmas Eve, and all around Duo’s cabin and in the forest beyond lay heaps of snow. Duo always retreated here for Christmas, it didn’t matter how often his friends invited him to visit. Relena and Heero had their own traditions now, what with two kids and another on the way. Dorothy frankly scared him, and he really didn’t want to watch her schmooze her way further into Une’s good graces when he saw enough of that when he did work for them. WuFei always took on more work for the holidays, so he didn’t have to participate, but Duo knew he sent everyone gifts or cards with good wishes anyway. He wouldn’t mind visiting Quatre, except he knew the blonde would suss out why he hid himself away for the ‘important moments’. Triton had gone missing, just suddenly disappeared, three years ago. He was supposed to come to this very cabin and see Duo and the little girl they’d planned to adopt. He’d never shown up, and all the paperwork had fallen through because even the Sanc government felt that Duo was too busy with work to raise a child alone. He frequently went to the orphanage where Lily still resided, and every Christmas he was given permission to take her out to the cabin for the holiday. As he wasn’t actually her parent, though he still very much wanted to be, he could only take her to the cabin, not even taking her to the nearest Winner Estate or the Princess’ manor were allowed. He’d always thought that was kind of odd, but he wasn’t about to miss spending unregulated time with the little girl he considered his daughter.

Lily caught him staring out the window at the snow, a sad and distant look on his face. “You still miss him a lot, don’t you Papa?”

A lump formed in Duo’s throat and he turned to give her a smile, “I do, yeah. That’s the thing about loved ones though, you’ll always miss them when they’re gone.”

Her pure blue eyes held a wealth of knowledge as she looked at him, and he had the momentary thought that a four year old shouldn’t be so knowledgeable. He held his arms open and she rushed to cuddle against his side. “I always miss you when I have to be at the orphanage too.”

Her voice was muffled against his chest but her words made his eyes prickle with tears. He gamely blinked them back and kissed the top of her head. “I always miss you too Lily.” He waited a moment before giving her a squeeze and asking, “So, what should we have for breakfast?”

“Waffles!” Lily bounced up and raced across the living area to the open kitchen and began pulling out the big mixing bowl.

Duo chuckled and followed after her, “Waffles it is.”

They were in the middle of eating when a chill went up Duo’s spine - they were being watched. And he was highly concerned by that. He was a former Gundam pilot after all, so there were multiple fail safes and alarms around the perimeter of his land, no one should be close enough to _watch_ them without him knowing about them beforehand. So, who was on his property? If Lily noticed his suddenly tense shoulders and that he’d cut himself off mid sentence she gave no indication, simply took his sudden silence as agreement to her plan to go outside and build a snowman.

He panicked briefly at that, but he hadn’t been shot at yet, so maybe if he pretended that he wasn’t aware of whoever it was, they wouldn’t harm his kid. He turned and gave Lily a huge smile, “Let’s finish eating and get ready then!”

She squealed with delight and rushed through the rest of her waffles and hot chocolate. As Duo washed the dishes she raced over to the coat closet and pulled out her snow pants, fluffy coat, gloves, and hat. Duo finished washing and joined her, reaching up to the top shelf in the closet, somewhere he’d never grabbed something from in her presence before and slid several knives into his clothes and hair in the safety of the closet, out of sight of any windows. Then he pulled on his own coat, placed his floppy hat on his head and made sure his gloves were in his pockets.

He helped Lily into all her gear and then her snow boots over by the door. He laced himself into his own boots before doing up his coat and donning his gloves. He opened the door and Lily raced out, he had to fight not to call out to her not to rush off, after all, nothing was supposed to be out here that could possibly hurt her. He snatched his keys from the side table and locked the door behind him, though he couldn’t remember if the other doors and windows were locked so he wasn’t sure how much good it would do him. There wasn’t usually a reason for any of it to be locked after all. The only times it was fully locked were when Duo wasn’t there; when he fully left the property, either to head to the store, the orphanage, or work. He spent the vast majority of his time here, working on things he and Triton had planned on doing, and wishing the man would walk back into his life.

He heaved a sigh and then shook his head at himself, his eyes found his daughter splayed out in the snow making a snow angel and he grinned. He still felt eyes on him, but he knew better than to look for them. Instead he headed for Lily. “Alright kiddo, where do you want this snow person to be?”

“SnowMAN Papa.” Lily’s blue eyes glared up at him.

He gave an offended start, placing his fingers delicately to his chest, “I’m so sorry miss, can snowfolk not be girls?”

Lily sat up with a giggle, “‘Course they can, but I wanna make a snowman.”

Duo couldn’t help the chuckle, “Okay, snowman it is. Where do you want him?”

Lily tilted her head her red hair sliding over her shoulder as she looked about, then she pointed toward the house. “Over by the porch! He can stand guard, just like Daddy did.”

Duo felt like he’d been punched in the gut by said man again, he was sure it would hurt even more now than it had when they were 15 though. He swallowed hard and stared up at the tree tops for several long moments before he felt collected enough to answer her. “Yeah, that sounds good. You go over and start gathering the snow around the spot you want, I’m gonna grab the shovel and move some more over, okay?”

She nodded excitedly and hopped up out of her angel and raced back towards the porch. Duo went around the side of the cabin to the small wood shed, grabbed the shovel and rejoined her. He felt the eyes on him the whole time and wondered... was it someone who knew what else was in that shed? Or simply someone who knew he was a Gundam pilot and suspected the worst of him at all times? Or maybe it was someone who knew he did side jobs for Une and the Preventers and wasn’t just a simple scrap hauler. Any of them were bad, and all would explain why the eyes followed him around, but not Lily. Honestly, he was glad they weren’t after Lily, he’d have to kill someone if they tried for his kid.

They spent the rest of the morning making their snowman, Lily insisted on dressing it in Triton’s old plaid shirt, the green scarf Cathy had made for him, and one of Duo’s old stetsons. It had green marbles for eyes, that Duo _knew_ weren’t going to last long, they’d drop right through the snowman by the end of the day, he was sure. Lily made his mouth with some pine needles, sticks for arms, and a toy gun that Triton had been working on before his disappearance rested at its side.

“There! Now he can protect us like Daddy!” Lily clapped her hands together in muffled congratulations to their finalized creation. Duo swallowed hard again and simply nodded, unable to do more without breaking down. They honestly didn’t talk about Triton as much as Duo felt they should, certainly not about him protecting them, so he wasn’t at all sure where this was coming from, but it made his very soul ache. The fact that she so clearly loved someone who hadn’t been apart of her life for the last three years, and she was only four... it hurt him as it made him happy.

Duo moved over and scooped her up into a hug, “I love you Lily, and I’m sure, wherever he is, Daddy does too.”

She shrieked when he picked her up, but buried her face in his neck when he spoke, throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you too Papa, and I know Daddy does too.”

He couldn’t help the hitch in his breathing that had her squeezing him tighter - really a little kid shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of stuff - but he pushed his feelings aside and grinned. “So, what should we have for lunch?”

Lily leaned away from him and scrunched up her face in thought, “Can we have grilled cheese and tomato soup? I’m kinda cold.”

Duo chuckled, “Sure, sounds good. Let’s go shake off all the snow and get inside where it’s warm.”

By then the door was unlocked again, him having needed to go inside for the clothing his daughter demanded be on the snowman. They stomped snow off their boots, dusted off their pant legs and gloves, then Duo opened the door and they stepped inside. Gloves, coats, hats, boots, and Lily’s snow pants came off and they headed for the kitchen.

Lily sat on a stool at the side bar and watched as Duo started lunch. He was turning to ask her to go press play on the stereo when he realized the watched feeling was gone. He managed to ask her, but was on edge even with the music that usually soothed him playing. What did it mean? Was there an attack incoming? Was whoever it was simply gone? He was sure Lily suspected something was up, as she wasn’t hounding him with questions about anything and everything as she usually did. When a knock sounded on the front door he jumped, managing to splash boiling tomato soup on his hand. “Shit!. Ahh, sorry Lily.”

She giggled at him, but didn’t scurry off to answer the door. He was thankful for that, she really had no reason besides his being tenser than usual to not race off. She would usually, knowing that it was probably the mail man or maybe one of Papa’s friends. No one who would hurt her. Duo turned the heat off for both the burner and the oven before running his hand under cold water for a moment and yelling, “Be right there!”

He looked over at Lily, she nodded at him and he gave her an apologetic smile before heading for the door. Looking through the small window in the door had him going completely still, his breathing stopped and his heart racing.

“Papa?” Lily’s concerned words from the kitchen where she could barely see him around the corner for the short hallway that made up the entrance way, had him shaking himself.

“It’s alright.” Duo called back, mumbling under his breath, “I think.”

He pulled open the door, and was met with a scared, sheepish look from one Triton Bloom. Triton opened his mouth, and Duo didn’t even care what he was about to say, he punched him in the face - knocking him flat on his ass on the snowy porch.

“Papa?” The startled words were accompanied by the sound of small feet hurrying to him, then a delighted squeal of, “Daddy!”

Duo was so upset he couldn’t even react in time to stop her from throwing herself at Triton. Triton’s grin at her as he rubbed at his chin hurt him in ways he didn’t understand and didn’t want to try to.

“Hey Sunshine!” The nickname sent another spear through him and Duo sank to his knees. Triton’s green eyes turned to him from hugging Lily filled with concern. “Shit, damnit, Duo I’m sorry, I didn’t... ack, Lily I’m so sorry I shouldn’t be cu-.”

Lily’s small hand placed over his mouth stopped Triton from spluttering on, “It’s okay Daddy, just don’t make it a habit.”

Both men gave weak chuckles at that, then turned to each other. Triton’s eyes were full of love and remorse, and Duo... Duo just couldn’t deal with this right now. He stood up slowly, turned back into the house, gesturing for them to follow, “Come on in, I’m makin’ lunch.”

Triton’s whispered, “I know.” Had Duo taking in a large breath and releasing all of the tension from his body, before he thought better of that and tensed up again. While it _was_ nice to know that it had just been Triton who was watching them, the man had been GONE, no contact, for the last three fucking years, and Duo was going to remain angry at him if it killed him!

He left Triton and Lily in the entrance way while Triton took off his gloves, coat, and boots. Lily happily chatted at him about the snowman they made, and that Daddy wasn’t allowed to take his clothes back, the snowman needed them so he could protect them. Duo restarted the oven and stove and set about making more grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. He pulled down three plates, three bowls, two tall glasses, and a small cup, then set them out on the table. A large plate was filled with several grilled cheese sandwiches and placed in the center of the table along with a pot holder and the steaming pot of tomato soup. If felt natural to do three instead of two, and Duo was wary of that, who knew why Triton had suddenly reappeared or if he would simply disappear again. He didn’t want to get comfortable just to have it torn away.

“What would you two like to drink?” Duo asked as he pulled open the refrigerator.

“Milk!” Lily bounced excitedly in her seat, her blue eyes big as they flitted happily between her Papa and her Daddy.

Duo rolled his eyes, “Should have seen that one coming. I’ve got milk, apple juice, tea and coffee makings, soda, and beer, but don’t tell Relena or Quatre that, they’ll end me for having it in the house while Lily’s here.”

Triton chuckled and Duo’s knees buckled, how he’d missed that wonderful sound. He was thankfully still holding onto the refrigerator door, so was in no danger of falling to the floor. “Um, water’s fine Duo.”

Duo took a deep breath, grabbed out the milk and a soda for himself, then closed the door. He poured Lily’s milk and set it in front of her, grabbed the two glasses and looked over a Triton again, finding him seated in the same spot he’d claimed when they first bought the small circular table. They had figured if the table was round and it was just the three of them, they would always be sitting next to each other. That’s how it was _supposed_ to be! He gulped and looked away, won against the tears pricking his eyes and looked back at him. “You want ice?”

A shake of the head that sent his chestnut bang swishing across his eyes, “No thank you.”

Duo blinked, remembered what he’d asked, and turned to the sink. He filled Triton’s glass with water, then moved to the fridge and added ice to his own. He set them down on the table at their respective places then put the milk away. He dished out the tomato soup, and gave each of them a single sandwich to start with, then sat down and opened his soda, pouring it over the ice in his glass.

He set the remainder aside and grinned over at Lily, “Alright, let’s dig in.”

They ate in silence except when more food was required and asked for. Between the three of them all of the food disappeared. While Lily headed to the bathroom to wash her hands and her face, Duo cleaned up the table and began washing the dishes. Triton just naturally slotted himself next to him and began drying them, though he had to ask where they all went, as Duo had redone the kitchen since last he was there.

“I’m sorry.” Duo was glad he’d waited until everything was done, he’d have dropped something.

“Sorry?” The word was spat at Triton like one of Cathy’s knives. Violet eyes met green, sparks flying from them. “Sorry for what exactly? That you disappeared? That I couldn’t adopt Lily on my own? That, in order to keep this place that we fought so hard to buy, I’ve had to take on even MORE work, so there’s literally no way I could get approval to adopt her? That you just left me, alone? What the fuck are you sorry for Triton?”

There was a desperation and real pain in those green depths, but Duo honestly couldn’t deal with it right now. The fuck did he mean he was _sorry_? Duo turned away so sharply that his braid, prickling with knives still, smacked into Triton. The grunt on impact and small hiss made him wince a bit, but he still continued on his way to find out what was taking HIS daughter so long.

She wasn’t in the bathroom and for half a second he went into a full-on panic. Then he heard her humming, following the sound he found her sitting in her bedroom playing with her toys. “Hey munchkin, what are you doing in here?”

“Hi Papa! I figured you and Daddy should talk. And you’d probably fill up the swear jar if I was present, so I came in here. Did you talk?” Bright blue eyes questioned his soul and found him wanting.

He shook his head, “Sorry, no, Papa’s just not ready to talk yet.”

She huffed a sigh, sounding far too much like Relena for his liking, and shook her head. “That just won’t do Papa. You have to ask him why he was gone, and make him stay. I don’t wanna be an orphan anymore when I know I have a Papa and a Daddy that want me.”

Duo was floored, behind him in the hallway Triton was too, he literally thumped to the floor. “Um, okay, well, if you’re alright for a while playing here... we’ll be in the big bedroom, okay?”

Duo’s voice shook, but Lily nodded her head, smiled at them and shooed them away with a gesture.

Duo stepped back away from the door and headed down the hall, he reached for the door handle for the master bedroom three times before he could finally make himself grab it. He could feel Triton’s questioning gaze, and without turning to look at him, he gave a small shrug and said, “I haven’t been in here since I realized you weren’t coming back. I’ve been sleeping in the guest bedroom.”

He pushed the door open, and it was just as he’d left it about two and a half years ago. Bed bare, Triton’s stuff where he’d left it, most of Duo’s stuff was missing as it was now in the guest bedroom and the hallway bathroom beside all the things for Lily. Stepping inside he waited until Triton had moved past him before closing the door and flipping the switch that made the room soundproof. They’d come prepared when they bought the place, knowing that eventually they wanted to adopt a kid or more. Duo’s eyes finally strayed to Triton, who was looking at the bare mattress like a lost puppy.

Before Duo could decide what to ask, where to start, anything... Triton spoke. “I guess I should answer that first question first. I didn’t leave because I wanted to Duo.”

Green eyes turned to him, imploring, but he made no other movement. “I received a phone call,” Triton snorted, “‘Attempt to adopt the girl and we’ll kill her and the man.’ I honestly thought it was a joke, but then you went out on a sweeper trip, and I came home from a mission, went by the orphanage to see Lily...” His eyes turned back to the bed and his fists clenched at his sides, he took in a breath that made his whole body shudder, “Everyone was lined up in the cafeteria, on their knees, hands on their heads, some guy demanding to know which baby was Lily Potter. He was contracted to kill her Duo. Because I’d ignored a threat.”

Duo couldn’t say anything to that, he was pretty sure his heart had failed a few seconds ago, he was having a hard time breathing. He swallowed hard and finally pushed himself away from the door, “So, when I got back, and Une was telling me about the attack on the orphanage, the person who took out the hitman was **you**?”

Triton flinched, turned worried eyes to Duo, moved like he was going to reach for him, then thought better of it. He nodded glumly.

“Did you tell her not to tell me it was you?” Duo’s tone was ice.

Triton shook his head emphatically, “No, I never told her not to tell you anything. I’m sure there were reports from those at the orphanage about who the hitman was after. But from the look of you, I’d say you weren’t told that either.”

Duo flopped onto the bed, a cloud of dust rising around him and making him sneeze. “Oops. No, I was never told that Lily was in any danger. Just, you were gone, and I work too much, so I wasn’t allowed to adopt her by myself.”

“Fuck, Duo, I’m so sorry. And I know that’s never going to be enough, but I thought they would have **told** you.” He said and knelt beside the end of the bed, crossing his arms over the mattress and resting his chin on them to look at Duo. “It was so hard not to answer your calls and texts. But,” he sighed and shook his head, “I’d decided that I needed to find who’d called the hit, who had threatened my family, by myself. So, I focused on that. A few months ago I found them. A family friend of the Potters’, he was apparently the one who had them killed as well. The reason Lily was an orphan to begin with.”

Triton gave a deprecating laugh, “He was apparently pro-Gundam during the war, while the Potters were anti-Gundam. Yet, he went after a Gundam pilot’s family. Apparently he didn’t pay very close attention to who the pilots _were_. And before you ask, no, I didn’t kill him. I didn’t kill anyone. I’m good at my job, even though I wasn’t working in an official capacity, I turned every damn insect I found over to WuFei and Une. Damn it! I really thought they were keeping you in the loop, what the fuck?”

Duo’s voice was deadly quiet when he finally spoke, “Did you even stop to think about what your disappearance would do to me? To Lily?” He sat up in a rush of anger, “It wouldn’t have mattered if I knew what you were doing through them, because you, you fucking jackass, couldn’t be arsed to tell me yourself! I could have helped you! This could have been solved YEARS ago, what the hell is wrong with you? You claim they went after your ‘family’, what family? There’s nothing here Triton! You left! You just fucking left me!”

Tears fell down his face in a cascade and he got so worked up he couldn’t speak anymore, the mild panic on Triton’s face would have been amusing if he weren’t so upset. “I-it’s, it’s l-like, y-you don’t, (hic) even love me.”

“Shit.” Triton surged up onto the bed, scooping Duo into his lap, “I did it BECAUSE I love you. You know how single minded I get, I’m so sorry Duo. I truly never meant to hurt you. I didn’t think the adoption would fall through without me here. You’re right, I didn’t really think it through at all, I just went and did it. I...” He paused and took a shuddering breath, holding Duo close for a moment, “If you’d prefer I leave for good, I will. I can send you alimony or child-support, or whatever, so you can have Lily. I know she said you should make me stay, but if my being here will hurt you...”

The choked sound he made had Duo unburying his head from the man’s shoulder, raising his hands to frame his face, and shaking his head. “No, you’re home now, and you’re damn well going to stay here.”

Love, hope, and sorrow warred in watery green eyes as Duo looked at him. He gave up, gave in, Duo leaned up a bit and kissed him for all he was worth. The last three years of fear and worry pouring out of him, and happiness taking their place. He was here, he was alive, he didn’t seem to be hurt at all - besides being distraught over the pain he’d caused - everything was right with the world. Or at least right enough for right now.

Triton whimpered and kissed him back, when they pulled apart there was the flash of smiles and then Triton sprinkled kisses all over Duo’s face before attacking his throat. Duo clung to him, soft curses falling from his mouth at the feeling, eventually the two of them fell to the musty bed, the explosion of dust had them screeching to a halt, coughing and sneezing, then laughing. They both got off the bed and patted themselves down a bit before Triton spoke again, “So, is it okay if I air this room out?”

Duo was busy taking assorted weapons out of his hair so he could shake all the dust and grime free, he looked over with a chuckle. “‘Course you can. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll move my stuff back in here. You sir, aren’t going to have much alone time anymore.”

Re-braiding his hair he walked over and rose up on his toes to kiss Triton’s cheek. “I’m gonna go check on Lily. The vacuum is in the hall closet, the tiny one, and linens are in the big one.”

He put the knives and things back in his braid and then flipped the switch for the sound proofing before leaving the room. He moved down the hallway back to Lily’s room, finding her coloring now. “Hey sweetie, wanna come make fun of Daddy while he cleans the bedroom? Or come watch a movie with me in the living room?”

She tilted her head as if actually debating it, her eyes tracked Triton’s movement behind him as he moved to get the vacuum. Then blue eyes landed on Duo, “I wanna watch a movie with you!”

Duo smiled and held out a hand, she replaced her coloring book on the bookshelf and crayons on her little desk, then grabbed his hand. While they watched a cartoon, Triton cleaned. When he was finished he joined them on the couch for the rest of the movie. When it was over Lily climbed into his lap, “You’re staying right?”

Triton gave her a squeeze, “Yes Sunshine, I’m staying. I’m home now.”

She squealed and attached herself to his neck, Duo and Triton chuckling. Triton held her close, “We’ll finally get you adopted too. That is,” And he turned to look at Duo, “if your Papa will marry me?”

Duo stopped breathing for a long moment, then gave a shaky nod of his head as Lily clapped and cheered. Duo leaned over and gave Triton a kiss before Lily bounced up and declared that they needed to go outside and make an army of mini snowmen for the big one by the door to command.

They’d made it into view of the front windows when a sick feeling entered Duo’s gut. Instinctively he jumped to the right, the sound of a bullet ripping through the wooden wall behind him registering only after the bullet hit his side.

Triton’s yell of ‘Shit!’ and Lily’s cry of ‘Papa!’ barely registered at all, a small knife was already flying on a reverse course of the bullet that hit him and Duo was turning after it. He took three seconds to decide to go out the front door instead of crashing through the window, and then he was gone, yelling over his shoulder that there was full body armor for Lily in the closet.

Outside he found his target, the jackass who’d just tried to shoot his daughter, was writhing on the ground with the knife lodged in his elbow. Duo didn’t even want to know how that was managed. He raced over, pulled the knife free and rammed his own elbow into the man’s temple, then dodged a spray of bullets from the other side of his yard. He briefly saw Triton step out onto the pouch holding Lily, who was head to toe Kevlar. Most of it was even steel reinforced, she couldn’t really move on her own when she was in it, it was too heavy. But he was busy throwing knives at assholes and besides the small relief that they would be fine, he didn’t worry about them. He flitted around the woods surrounding his home like an evil spirit set on revenge.

He heard gunfire that he recognized as Triton’s service weapon, and circled back to the front of the house, perched in a tree. He watched as some other guy in a ski mask fell to the snow, his leg bleeding. “We should... probably call this in Duo.”

“I, yeah, you’re right.” He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for Dorothy. Then Heero marched up their driveway, a pregnant Relena behind him. Duo nearly dropped his phone, “What the fuck are you two doing here?”

Heero looked over his way and shrugged, “WuFei said that Triton was back, so we needed to move in.”

Confused Duo hopped down and smashed his fist into the face of someone aiming a gun at his family again. He drug them over with him as he went to Heero. “Needed to move in?”

“I thought I got them all.” Triton’s voice had never held so much fear before and Duo turned to him with worried eyes.

“Hey, it’s alright. We’re fine. I mean, we’re former Gundam pilots, it’s not like they could do much to us.” Duo moved over and kissed Lily’s cheek and then Triton’s.

WuFei drove up on a snow ski just then, “That’s true. And you _did_ get all of the people pulling the strings Triton. These guys have been staking out the cabin since the day you left, told to wait for you to return. If they weren’t given any other orders between then and your return, they were to kill Lily and Duo when you arrived. We’ve had an eye on them the whole time.”

Here he sighed and Dorothy’s voice sounded from Duo’s phone, “I’m _**sorry**_ alright, I took my eyes off the screen for like two minutes, tops, and all hell broke loose!”

Triton called down toward Duo’s phone, “Hey, send a med team, Duo got shot.”

Duo nearly crushed his phone in his anger, all of them saved from his rage in the knowledge that EVERYONE had known except _him_ by the horrified voice of the guy bleeding out on his snowy lawn.

“You’re Gundam pilots?!”

Duo rolled his eyes, took a deep breath and glared at the man, “Yes.”

Heero helpfully pointed to each of them in turn, “I’m 01, he’s 02, 03, and 05.”

“And I’M 04!” The chipper sound of Quatre’s voice was in stark contrast to the current situation.

“You’re Quatre Winner, of WEI Corp!” Duo was pretty sure the man was going to pass out, and he’d certainly won the award for stupidity.

“Yes, I am. I was also a Gundam pilot.” The man passed out and Quatre chuckled. “Did I miss it all, or is there still fun to be had?”

A bullet whizzed past his face and he gave a feral grin before sprinting in the direction it had come from, Heero on his heels. WuFei was ordering his contingent of Preventers to scour the area and told them all to go inside the house. Duo held a hand out to Relena, “Come on crazy pregnant lady, let’s get you out of the cold.”

The four of them went back inside, moving to the alcove in the kitchen that held the table and sitting down. It was the most bulletproof spot in the house. Duo had to move to the kitchen floor when Sally arrived. She shook her head and nitpicked at him as she removed the bullet and cleaned and dressed the wound.

“Honestly, don’t you usually jump OUT of the way of bullets?” Her quiet chiding melted his rage into a moping mess.

“I wasn’t going to let a bullet hit my kid.”

Sally patted his head, “I can’t blame you there. Just take it easy for a bit, you’ll be fine. It’s not like you’ve never been shot before.”

Duo chuckled and sat back down at the table. They remained there until WuFei gave them the ‘all clear’. Duo and Triton helped Lily out of her protective gear and they all moved to the living room. Triton, Duo, Lily, and Relena took the couch, Heero sat on the arm near Relena. Sally took a rocking chair by one wall, Quatre grabbed the beanbag from the corner and pulled it over, and WuFei sat in one of the cushioned chairs. The rest of the Preventers were busy hauling the attackers back to HQ.

“Alright, first things first pricks,” Triton’s voice was a low growl as he held his family to his sides, “Why did NO ONE TELL DUO ANY OF THIS?”

WuFei’s head was already bowing before Quatre and Heero turned to look at him, “Because I figured it would be better, that we could keep tabs on what was going down better, if Duo wasn’t aware he was being watched. I know it hurt him, and I didn’t pull the plug on it when I realized it was, that’s on me. I’ll understand if you hate me Duo.”

Duo shook his head, still confused, “Just... explain this shit to me.”

“Christine and Jules Potter were very big in the anti-Gundam scene during the war. They were just kids like us, but unlike us, they threw themselves into the war as protesters. They didn’t advocate for pacifism like Relena and others did, they didn’t side with the Alliance, but they hated the very idea of mechs being used to kill people.” WuFei it seemed, had read and reread everything for this far too often, he sounded like a movie narrator. “When the war ended, they got married and settled in Sanc, the only place they believed - though I’ve no idea HOW they thought this - but they believed that Sanc had nothing to do with the Gundams. A few years ago they started a resistance movement against the Preventers, for allowing former Gundam pilots into their ranks. Friends who’d been pro-Gundam the whole time, took offense and let’s just say it got out of hand. It was those same people, obviously unknowing who any of the Gundam pilots actually were, who have actually been trying to get Lily since her parents were killed. You two, made it very difficult for them.”

“Huh.” There was silence for a moment as Duo and the rest of them absorbed that information. “So, is that why I wasn’t allowed to take her to see any of you? Because... I dunno, it’d mean I had friends in high places? I mean, it’s not like I didn’t visit you all without her.”

“Actually,” Relena piped up, “I think that was an ultimatum given to the orphanage after Triton took out their hit-man. They were pretty close lipped about the whole thing. We never actually got a lot of information from them about it. Most of what we know of the attack, was given in Triton’s report.”

Triton blinked, “But, I called her, like every week, same as I do when I’m on a mission. If the mission takes that long anyway. They never mentioned anything...”

Duo jerked away from him, “Oh, so you can call your almost daughter, but not your boyfriend. I see how it is.”

“Duo, don’t.” Triton buried a hand in his braid, uncaring about the cuts he got from the few remaining knives, and pulled him into a kiss. “I already told you why I didn’t answer you, and apologized for it, and will continue to make it up to you for the rest of my life.”

Duo pouted but cuddled back into him, “You damn well better.”

“Is it over though? Can I get adopted now?” Lily’s sweet voice nearly brought Duo to tears for the umpteenth time that day.

WuFei smiled over at her, “Yes, you can come live with Papa and Daddy now little one.”

“Yay! Breakfast with Papa and Daddy tomorrow will be the best Christmas present EVER!” Lily clapped her hands and then threw her arms around the two of them. Duo grunting lightly as he twisted to quickly to hug her back. “Oops, sorry Papa.”

Duo grinned, “Not your fault sweetie. We’ll have to wait to do the actual adoption stuff until after the new year though. Since the government is on holiday until then.”

She beamed at them, and they spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with everyone before the others left. They made meatloaf for dinner, placed out cookies for Santa, and then Triton and Duo tucked Lily into bed. Duo finally moved his stuff back into the master bedroom and bathroom, and they climbed into bed as well.

With a smirk Duo turned his head to look at Triton in the gloom, “So, if I’m really good and don’t ‘over do it’, can I unwrap my favorite present in the morning?”

Triton snorted and rubbed his bare leg against Duo’s, replying suggestively. “I don’t know, if you’re up for it, you could open it early.”

**Author's Note:**

> And yes, they remember to put their dues into the swear jar the next day.


End file.
